The Need for Social Media Detox

By Christina Kim - Thursday, August 02, 2018

It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity

- Albert Einstein -

The world we live in today, is definitely a world that our forefathers would not be able to recognise had they been in existence.Smartphones, tech gadgets, wireless communication, mobile networks, automated control systems have crept into every inch of our lives, within our consciousness or not and there is no denying that.They have become the necessities in our lives, they have become part of daily routines, they have become part of us and frankly, I think, they are even defining who we are.Sadly, but it is the reality.Two sides of the coin, the great thing is the elusive advancement in modern technology which contributed to the rapid enhancement of human lives today, revolutionising fields of science, medicine, and education greatly. What seemed impossible in the past is no longer the case in the present, and the current evolution casts a rather positive light on an even more promising future.We have pushed beyond the limits to realise new discoveries, defying the dead rules set in the past, even toying with the grave boundaries of the universe.There is almost nothing inconceivable in the human eyes these days, everything can be attempted and challenged, including death.This is the level of confidence and progress we are looking at today.On the other hand, this modernisation is not without its flaws for what made humans flaunt is also the same thing that made us falter, though we may not realise nor bring ourselves to admit. Our delight and enthrallment with these aspects of modernities have led us far from our concepts of being, elevating our confidence and comforts to levels of arrogance, mockery and even gluttony. In short, complacence, nestled within the heights of our insatiable appetites for more, even stripping us of the very thing that defines us; humanity.It is implausible to even imagine lives lived before today, without all that surround and exist with us today.Simply, we are inseparable from technology.One simple example is our cell phone (or mobile phone, handphone, smartphone, whatever you call it).It is what connects us to the world, to the rest of the world out there.It is no longer just a dial and call to say "I miss you" to your loved one out there, it is everything which dictates our lives.Our phones can do pretty much everything we want to, from connecting to the world, accessing information, paying our bills, tracking locations, travel guide, and basically, being our life planner.Every waking moment is spent with our phones.It wakes us up, it tells us when we have our meetings, our classes, our appointments, our anniversaries, our dental check ups, our deadlines.It reads our emails, perform searches for us, tracks our daily schedules, calories, nutrition, physical health, get us the information we need, corrects our spellings and even tells us where to go.It almost like a magic wand in your hand, and there is no wonder we are practically glued to it.Sorceries it can perform indeed.No human interaction? You defend that it can all happen with one click.Yes indeed, a click will bring you to your friend's profile, their life data all displayed on one single page, or maybe one paragraph, maybe one tweet.We know what they had yesterday for breakfast, where they crashed for the night, where they had been on their last vacation, what happened to them at work or school today, their mood and even their pets' names. In return, we make that available about ourselves too.(Well, maybe not all of us, but most of us do. I am not judging).That magic wand? It is a creator, an eraser, and most of all, a companion.It is what we interact with the most, whether we admit it or not.It is ingrained in us that we even spend more time with it than with each other.Look at everyone around you in a cafe, or anywhere, and you will see heads bowed, not in prayer, but on the tiny screens in their hands.Even among a group of people seated at the same table, they would probably be texting or uploading photos to their social media accounts rather than talking to each other, in person.It is the reality these days and everyone is aware of that fact.I am not Wilma nor do I find technology/social media abhorrent that I am writing an entire post to condemn it, but it is a point of view that I see the good and the bad of technology, and the bad news is, it can become toxic, or it already has.Can you count the number of days/hours you are with your phone, or connected to the Internet?You probably don't need to.Take that phone or Internet connection away, and start counting.I bet you can give me the precise duration, down to milliseconds, the time you are WITHOUT it.Taking a break away does not mean going all primitive, but it does do us some good to unplug once in a while, and just live in all that nature has bestowed upon us.I tried that, though I cannot say I have succeeded, for while I did not post to my social media for months, I failed at not logging in and checking up on the world.Yes, my so-called detox did not work out so well either, but it did take a bit of a struggle avoiding posts and tweets, and I belong to those who sanctify privacy.

I did succeed in avoiding it completely for a week though, at least, except for phone calls which did not count for they are the basic connection.I do not think no interaction is human either.So what then constitutes a so-called social media detox?To put it simply, just take time off from social media.Refrain from posting, depending on your habits and frequency, possibly a day.Refrain from logging in or checking any of your accounts, for a day, or a few hours, for a start.It really depends on yourself, how much are you willing to take this.It is not really mandatory, nor the law that you take that time off.It is just an idea, a suggestion to try that and see how that makes you feel.It will be difficult, I promise you that, and you will realise then, how much it has settled in your lives, or much you have been depending on it.Don't just imagine that scenario, try it out, live it.Chuck that phone somewhere in the wardrobe, or freeze it if you may, but resist that urge to pick it up and look at it, even if just for a day.You will find it so difficult to focus on anything, and you will find yourself getting bored quickly, maybe even as you are reading this idea, you may snort at it.Then you will realise how truly addicted you are to that phone.However, if you do decide to do it, go all old-school.Think of what you would do if you had no technology.How would you meet up with your friends?How would you get up on time for work/school?

Most of all, what are you going to do with all that time you are not on the phone, if you are not at work/school?I am not asking you to try this for eternity, but try it once, to bring back your humanity.Even if it is just for a day...I know I did, and it was refreshing :-)

*Author's Note:

This is not a sponsored/promotional post, and solely based on author's personal opinions and do not represent the general public.

Experiences vary from one individual to another.You do not have to agree with me.

Art Direction and Photography Styling by Me.Photos/Videos all belong to me and are copyrighted.Please kindly ask for permission if you need to use any of my images.